LCC Daily Devotions

Monthly Archives: May 2017

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11

Anger is a God-ordained emotion, but it’s meant to be your servant instead of your master. So keep your temper on a lead. Any time you’re tempted to give in to anger, stop and ask yourself two questions: 1) Is this really worth my anger? Much of the time you’re working only with partial information. Furthermore, when you view someone in the context of their best qualities rather than their worst ones, you usually respond differently. 2) Is this the best way, place, and time to express my anger? It’s hard to ask yourself this in the heat of the moment, but your emotions can be tamed and your temper can be trained. The Bible says one of the fruits of the Spirit is ‘self-control’ (Galatians 5:23). When someone wrongs you, the question isn’t are you big enough to do something about it; the question is are you big enough not to? The story’s told of two brothers who got into an awful fight and their mother ran upstairs to break it up. When she asked how the fight got started, the older brother said, ‘It all started when he hit me back!’ If you’ve an anger management problem, write this Scripture down, carry it with you and try to read it before you lose your temper: ‘Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs’ (Proverbs 19:11). You say, ‘That’s hard to do!’ Yes, and you’ll never do it perfectly. But if you do it more often God will be glorified, and you’ll feel better too.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me keep my anger in check and look for the best in others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

Farai Chideya graduated from Harvard, worked for Newsweek magazine, and quickly rose to the top. Yet she spent years fighting bulimia, trying to become like the glossy images in the make-believe world around her. When she finally broke free from her disease she wrote: ‘Losing weight didn’t change my personality and it didn’t lighten the emotional baggage I carried from my childhood. I thought I wanted to be thin. What I really wanted was to be happy, and neither my looks nor my achievements could do that. Because I couldn’t love or accept myself, the acceptance of others was never enough. When I tried to be perfect I came across as remote and unapproachable, yet the exact opposite was what I wanted.’ Then she shares four life-changing principles: 1) Your obsession to be perfect will keep you trapped in loneliness, for satisfying relationships can only be built on honesty and total acceptance. 2) Your obsession to be perfect will force you to see your shortcomings as something to hide, instead of opportunities for growth. 3) Your obsession to be perfect will keep you fixated on what you’re going to be some day, instead of enjoying what you are right now. 4) Your obsession to be perfect will rob you of the chance to make your life count, for by focusing constantly on yourself you’ll have nothing left to give to others. Bottom line: God didn’t need to create you, He chose to. On the day you were born He smiled and said, ‘Very good.’ When you fully grasp that, you’ll begin to overcome the problem of feeling ‘less than.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, forgive me for feeling “less than” and help me realize that Your acceptance of me is all I need. Free me to live each day knowing that. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

The word ‘casting’ pictures a fisherman throwing his net into the sea to catch fish. He knows he won’t succeed by carrying his net, but by casting it. What are you carrying around? Old pain? Old resentment? An old torch for somebody who’s moved on? Cast it away! You’re sacrificing your future for something that’s not worthy of your time and energy. Why would God tell you to do something so radical? Because ‘He cares for you’. While you’re caring for it, He’s caring for you. It’s hard to watch somebody you love twisting in pain because of something they shouldn’t be carrying. God has no problem making the thing leave you alone; His struggle is getting you to loosen your grip on it. Today God’s speaking to you, not what’s bothering you, saying, ‘Cast it away!’ Satan is a thief. Unwillingness to forgive is one of the doors through which he enters, and you are the only one who can close it. When you wake up and realize how much he’s already stolen from you, you’ll be angry with yourself. Harness that anger. Let it motivate you to live by the three R’s: Repent. Rectify the situation if possible. Take Responsibility for your life. Once you’ve done that, close the book on it, enjoy the benefits of God’s grace, and move on. Recognize when something is dead. No amount of effort can resuscitate a corpse, so sign the death certificate, bury the past, and get going. That doesn’t mean you’re quitting, it means you’re conserving your strength for things that count, for things you can do something about.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me let go of past things so that I can focus on You and doing Your will and serving those around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

If you spend hours each day watching television and can’t find a few minutes for prayer and reading the Scriptures, you’ve a spiritual appetite problem – one that needs your attention. David Brainerd, an eighteenth-century missionary to the American Indians, wrote in his journal: ‘I withdrew to my usual place of retirement in great tranquility. I knew only to breathe out my desire for a perfect conformity to Him in all things. God was so precious that the world with all its enjoyments seemed infinitely vile. I have no more desire for the favor of men than for pebbles. At noon I had the most ardent longings after God which I ever felt in my life. In my secret retirement I could do nothing but tell my dear Lord in a sweet calmness that I knew I desired nothing but Him, nothing but holiness, that He had given me these desires and only He could give me the things I desired. I never seemed to be so unhinged from myself … so wholly devoted to God. My heart was swallowed up in God most of the day.’ The psalmist felt the same way: ‘I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever … how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter’ (Psalm 73:25-28). You can tell how spiritually healthy you are by your appetite for the things of God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, forgive me when I do not spend the time I should with You. Help me grow in the time with You each day to be grounded in Your holiness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him. Psalm 28:7

So many things can trouble us. Our patience wears thin, we grow tired, overwhelmed and discouragement sets in like a tenacious weed. It’s in times like these that we need to take a step back and ask the Lord to give us His vision. We take on massive amounts of responsibility “in the name of Jesus” yet He never intended for us to carry such a heavy load. Someone once quipped, “I’d rather burn out for Jesus than wear out.” We certainly don’t want to be complacent concerning kingdom work, but pushing to the point of exhaustion is equally destructive. Whether you wear out or burn out, you still end up “out!”

The Lord calls us to come away and rest in His presence. It’s when we are in the presence of the Father that fear, pressure and our human tendencies to overachieve so others believe begins to melt away. We must allow the Lord to focus our attention back to a close, personal relationship with Him above our service. Satan loves for God’s children to become so busy in kingdom work that we no longer have time for regular communion with God. We become too busy working, leaving no time for simply being in His presence and listening to His still small voice.

The pressures of man and the ebb and flow of life will always be with us, but we can overcome discouragement and avoid dismay when we remember that the Spirit of God is by our side guiding, advising and comforting our human spirit. When you find yourself forgetting this that is a sign that you need to break away to a quiet place and reestablish your bond with your Lord. When you feel at your wits end, like everything you touch is turning to hot lava, take a step back, seek the Lord and sing His praises.

You are redeemed! You are forgiven, washed clean and your feet set upon the solid Rock, Jesus Christ. When you are tempted to believe that this world has a hold on you, take refuge in the Lord and sing! “But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.” (Psalm 5:11).

Prayer
Gracious Father, draw me into Your presence and help me to not become so busy that I miss my time with You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalms 23:2-3

Learn to pay attention to your body’s signals and emotional responses to the demands you place on yourself. When you’re tired to the point of distraction, you need to slow down and rest. Yes, there are seasons that require extra time and energy, but even in the midst of these seasons you need to find a way to take care of yourself. If you constantly ignore your body’s aches and pains, work 24/7, live on ready meals, and run on caffeine and adrenalin, you’ll get sick and be forced to slow down because you wouldn’t take care of yourself. Knowing your ‘speed limit’ allows you to know when it’s time to stop, refuel, and replenish, to restore your energy and your soul. Many of us have abused our bodies for so long that we believe our healthiest days are behind us. Not necessarily so! No matter how bad your condition is, there’s help! Your body has the ability to restore itself. God will work with you and in you to bring you back to wholeness if you follow His guidelines for good health. Practice doing everything you do for God’s glory, including eating (see 1 Corinthians 10:31). Look at your plate and ask if what you’re about to eat is mostly what God created for you to stay healthy. Make a balanced diet a way of life! Each time you choose healthy foods you choose life, which is God’s gift to you. Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish, it’s good stewardship. By eating well, sleeping enough, exercising, and taking regular breaks, you can increase the effectiveness of your life and bring glory to God (see 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20).

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

Observe: 1) It’s never easy to leave your comfort zone. Moses probably didn’t relish leaving the luxury of Pharaoh’s palace or the security of his new family in Midian. Yet if he hadn’t, he’d have failed to fulfil God’s call. Just because you don’t feel like doing something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. The greater the assignment, the greater the sacrifice. 2) Real growth begins once you leave your comfort zone. For forty years Moses benefited from everything Egypt had to offer. But only after he left Egypt for the first time did he begin to learn what was really important: namely, God’s purposes. It took another forty years in the desert to discover how God intended to use him – and by then he’d been humbled and made over. The bottom line is: before you can go – you have to grow! 3) Staying in your comfort zone will rob you of your greatest moments and memories.Your life story is written in risks – those you took and those you avoided. Twenty years from now you’ll be more disappointed about the risks you didn’t take than the ones you did. The way to pre-empt tomorrow’s regret is by moving forward today into the ‘faith zone’. You say, ‘But there’s so much I don’t know or understand.’ That may be true, but here’s a promise you can stand on: ‘I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them … turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These … things I will do; I will not forsake them’ (v. 16). What more assurance do you need?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know you are always with me so leaving my comfort zone means I am never alone. Thank You Jesus. Amen

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

To do God’s will, Moses had to leave his comfort zone. ‘Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter … He thought it was better to suffer … than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward’ (Hebrews 11:24-26). To fulfil the assignment God gave him, Moses had to be willing to give up two things: 1) Comfort. Ease is a greater threat to your progress than hardship. After living in a palace, Moses spent his next forty years in the desert tending sheep. He married one of Jethro’s daughters, managed her father’s business, and enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. Can you imagine leaving all that to go back and face Pharaoh? God’s plan for your life will bless and reward you, but never assume it will be easy. 2) Security. When God called him, Moses had many doubts and questions: ‘Who am I that I should go?’ (Exodus 3:11). ‘What shall I say to them?’ (Exodus 3:13). ‘Suppose they will not believe me?’ (Exodus 4:1). ‘But I am slow of speech’ (Exodus 4:10). Finally he told God, ‘Send someone else’ (Exodus 4:13). Have you been doing that? Fortunately, God wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Moses finally did the one thing that works when you’re uncertain about the future: He obeyed God, entrusting the details of the future to Him. In doing that Moses agreed to answer God’s call, leave his comfort zone, and return to Egypt. As a result the Children of Israel were delivered from slavery, and Moses’ name became a household word.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to leave my Comfort Zone so that I can go out and do Your will. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:43-44 (GW)

When people mistreat you, Jesus makes clear how you should respond. ‘Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: “Don’t hit back at all.” If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. You’re familiar with the old written law, “Love your friend,” and its unwritten companion, “Hate your enemy.” I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best – the sun to warm and the rain to nourish – to everyone, regardless: the good and the bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you’ (vv. 38-48 MSG). Bottom line: Respond in a Christlike way.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me love all people, even those who do not show love back or act out of hate. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matthew 25:45

Every act of kindness you showed to someone in need you’ll account for when you stand at the judgement (see 2 Corinthians 5:10). Jesus will recount them one by one – one deed done to improve the lot of another person, even small ones. Indeed, everything Jesus mentioned seems small: ‘I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me’ (Matthew 25:35-36). The early Church father Chrysostom pointed out, ‘We do not hear “I was sick and you healed me,” or “I was in prison and you liberated me.”’ So that does away with the excuse, ‘How could I heal a sick person or liberate someone who’s enslaved?’ Jesus said, ‘I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ These works of mercy are simple deeds, and yet in these simple deeds we serve Jesus. Astounding, this truth: we serve Christ by serving needy people. Some of them are refugees, or living on the streets. Maybe they’ve made mistakes or been caught up in circumstances they can’t control. You can’t help all of them, but you can help some of them! And when you do, you serve Jesus. That’s what Jesus will talk to you about when you stand before Him one day.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me see You in the eyes of others that are in need so they can see You in my eyes. In Your Precious Name, Amen